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jerem0621's avatar
jerem0621
Explorer II
Jul 11, 2013

"No fun while towing"

Just musing tonight

I keep seeing this term

"It will be no fun while towing with (insert whatever here)"

Mostly this term refers to someone answering another person who they perceive has a lesser tow vehicle. .

Diesel guys say - its no fun towing with a gasser

Big block guys say- its no fun towing with a small block

Big Small block guys say- its no fun towing with the smaller v8 motor

Everyone seems to say - its no fun towing anything with a V6

Then those that have 4 bangers are told that they can't tow anything.

Does anyone else dislike the term "it's no fun towing with (insert whatever here)"

Does towing above 2500 RPM's reduce the fun factor that much? My previous truck was an old 1997 F150 with a 5.4. I towed my trailer (7700 GVWR) all over middle Tn with it. I never had the thought "man this is no fun at all."


Thanks
  • I enjoy towing. I run 2500 even 3200 rpm all day. Sometimes 4000 when climbing. I enjoy driving.
    I would be bored (and broke) with a big fat diesel.
  • Thought I read "the wail tagging the dog" and thought , hrmm, shouldn't that be whale ?

    Now that's fun... Perhaps I shouldn't be on the Internet without supervision after I've been drinking...


    Happy trails folks :)
  • PS...I've had fun towing with everything I've owned

    Well, maybe not with the K5 and that 24' trailer... 'Built' 5.7L, 'built'
    auto tranny, 4.1' in both diff's, Dana 60 front, GM 14 bolt rear, custom
    leaf springs that had about a 2" lift, etc...

    That one trip with spouse and young child to Boise was NOT fun and why I now
    have a Suburban

    Yes, fun blasting around not towing. Pavement and off roading, but no fun towing
    with that too short wheel base and even though that 5.7L was 'built', it was
    built for non-towing (didn't know as much about towing back then...but wouldn't
    have gone to a towing cam/intake/carb/headers either)

    Also understand and know from first hand experience about the ability
    of the TV to manhandle the trailer....size does matter. That
    includes the engine type/size/architecture/etc in addition to the
    rest of the package
  • Going from a short bed 1500 to a 2500 diesel pulling a toy hauler, I know about the "no fun" concept. The 1500 was well within ratings, but you had the tail wagging the dog, hoover vacuum effect when semis passed and soft suspension parts making every step critical. The diesel is far easier to set up and go. If one has a setup they like and are not stressed beyond belief after 300 miles of towing, it's a good setup.
  • There is no one size fits all...

    Personal choice and so many times depends...

    Depends on how they drive

    What they drive

    What they tow

    Where they tow

    and the biggie is their background, experience and a big ETC

    I LOVE my 2.4L in line six's song rev'ing up to red line...going
    through the gears...but that doesn't mean I like 'my' TV to also
    rev up to it's red line. Blew it up and going to love the 'built'
    3.1L in-line six & close ratio 5 speed manual on the engine stand
    waiting for me to get to making up a custom header system

    I LOVE my 5.7L small block V8 in the 33 year old C10 Silverado when
    it rev's through the gears both empty and hauling (don't tow with
    it anymore).

    I do NOT like to rev my 13 year old Odyssey's V6, unless am passing
    or some such. Otherwise it is my daily and going out on the town
    vehicle.

    I LOVE my 7.4L big block rev'ing when am being boy racer out on the
    boulevard beating up some who cut me off thinking they have more, but
    I do NOT like to rev past 3,400 RPMs towing in 3rd. Red line starts
    at around 4,400 RPMs with a dashed red line and it become solid at 4,800 RPMS

    I have both a 'half ton' and a light one at that. Or compared to today's
    half ton GVWR's. It is at 6,200 GVWR and 'was' the heavy duty half
    ton of it's day. It has a small block and it is 'built'...meaning
    a cam and the works...except stock exhaust because of the smog testing
    here in Calif

    So know pretty much all about half ton TV's from the 33 years of
    borrowing it from dad, till dad gave it to me

    Have a 8.6K GVWR big block Suburban and that is my TV. Sold the boat
    (+8.6K plus trailer & misc), but borrow many trailers. A couple of those
    trailer owners have small block Suburbans (7.4K GVWR and both GMT800
    and GMT900). So have a good comparison between my GMT400 to the newer
    GMT800 and even newer GMT900.

    They do get more MPG when used as cars, but towing the same trailer
    has them drop down 'close' to my big block's...yes still a bit more
    but that is how things work between a big block and small block (mainly
    pumping losses and the beefier components & the inertia loads that
    must be over come and sustained)

    Yes these newer small blocks and their close ratio trannies do have
    the gearing to put down to pavement similar to more power than my
    17 year old's big block...but they are not quicker when used as cars
    Ditto towing...getting up to speed is a bit slower, but it's not a
    race...but...folks judge performance mainly by time to speed (they
    don't get it that braking is also a performance metric)

    These small block's 'similar' to 'more' power is at RPMs 2x or more
    than my big block, which has +400 ft/lbs of torque at about 1,800 RPMS

    So mine gets it going a tick sooner and keeps going till it shifts.
    They also shift once and are ready to shift again before mine ****s
    into 2nd. Of course WOT during these boy racer tests... :)

    Have used this term often, but it is the best way to describe it...

    It is like trying to explain sex to a virgin



    Diesel folks can also say that... :)
  • Does anyone else dislike the term "it's no fun towing with (insert whatever here)"


    Does not bother me in the least!